Piece of Heaven
by midvinternatten
Summary: SPN s7, 1st "episode": Dean gets a call from old fling Alice. Her son is being possessed, and the entity asked for Dean specifically. The brothers go over there to investigate, but have a hard time figuring out what kind of creature is threatening the boy
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there,**

**So this is the first part of my "SPN season 7". There are many chapters, but they aren't very long each, so don't be discouraged ;o)**

**The second "episode" is called **_**Peace Out**_**, and the third **_**Run to the Hills**_**.**

**I would really love to know what you think about my story! :o)**

* * *

The house lay dark, like the rest of the neighborhood. All the windows were black, except for in the one room upstairs. The light went out in that last window too.

X

Alice, a woman in her late 20's, turned off the computer and crawled into bed. She lay on her side, facing the window, away from the half-closed bedroom door, and enjoyed the soft cover snuggling her.

X

From outside the house, you could see a strange new light appear in one of the windows on ground floor. It moved through a few rooms and then went upstairs.

X

Alice was half asleep. The door opened slowly with a loud creek and her eyes opened widely.

She listened in the dark. Nothing. She turned around to check and sat up in bed. There was no one at the door. She was just about to turn back when she heard a loud growling right next to the bed. Slowly she turned around. A golden retriever was standing with his front paws on the bed, growling at her.

"Bowler..?" Alice said with a puzzled look.

Bowler's growling only intensified, and with a chilling sensation running down her spine, she realized maybe he wasn't growling at her… She spun around and THERE – a pair of eyes in level with hers! A six year-old boy was sitting on her bed. Their eyes stayed in a lock for a beat. Finally she rubbed the sleep off of her face.

"Jim, honey, what are you doing?" she asked.

"I am not Jim," replied the boy.

"What..? Honey it's really late, why are you..."

"I am not your son."

The boy's voice was calm and detached. Something was very, very wrong. Hanging on to hope, Alice tried one last time:  
"Jimmy?"

"You must call Dean Winchester," the boy demanded.

"Where did you get that name?"

"Call Dean Winchester and I will spare the child."

The entity possessing Jim gave way and he fell lifeless into his mother's arms.

"Jimmy! Jim?" Alice franticly shook Jim awake. Bowler came up and started licking his face.

Still in a haze Jim protested:  
"Bowler get off..! Mom, I'm...tired..."

Jim dozed off again and Alice held her son tight, with panic all over her face.


	2. Chapter 2

Parked at a rest stop mini-grill somewhere along the highway in Texas, the '67 Impala was shouting out Foreigners – Hot Blooded. The Winchesters had stopped for lunch, and Sam was sitting on top of the wooden table-bench, eating a not so tasty burger.

Dean was ordering from the mini-grill, leaning in close over the counter with a big happy grin, working his magic. Blondie in the counter was leaning forward and staring deep into Dean's eyes. She giggled an annoying little giggle.

Sam found a huge chunk of onion in his burger, threw it out and turned around as to complain. When he saw his brother in action he just shook his head and smiled to himself.

Over at the counter Dean had worked his way up to winking at Blondie. She let off another annoying giggle. Behind her something was starting to smoke.

"I think my burger's done..." said Dean, still locking her down with his eyes. Her answer was in a thick Southern accent:

"Nu-uh, I haven't flipped it yet. Meat's still frozen on the other side." Blondie let of yet another annoying giggle.

"Sweet thing, I bet the meat is about as hot as it's ever been," Dean tried again. He got no reaction except for her annoying giggle, so he finally nodded to the stove. Blondie spun around.

"Oh, shhhue shine!"

X

Dean walked over to Sam, holding a burger and some fries. He leaned up against the table-bench next to Sam with a big grin.

"Hey… I got extra mayo for free!"

Sam's gaze was still in the distance when he responded:

"Outstanding... Don't you ever get tired of it?"

"What, mayo? No." Dean took a big bite out of the hamburger, and closed his eyes anticipating the juicy, salty taste of the burger hitting him full force… The next second he made a face and pulled out the charcoaled meat from the burger.

"Of hitting on girls," Sam clarified. "I get exhausted just watching you go. And go, and go."

"What can I say, I'm an Energizer Bunny. It's called 'having a libido', look it up." Dean threw away the burger and moved on to the fries. "I don't know why you've planted that broom stick so damn far up, Sammy. It's a beautiful day, and that's a beautiful girl."

Dean pointed towards Blondie, who waved at him and giggled her annoying giggle. Dean waved back. "…and she gave me EXTRA MAYO," he concluded.

"And that's enough for you?" Sam looked at his brother. Dean looked back and frowned.

"Yeah... I mean, sure. What else is there?" Sam tilted his head at the remark. "For guys like you and me, Sammy. What else is there?"

They pondered in silence while Dean ate more fries. Dean's cell phone started rocking out, he licked his fingers and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Dean?" asked a female voice on the other end.

"Uh, maybe..!" Dean's eyes went back and forth as he was thinking hard, trying to place the voice.

Alice was standing by the big windows of her kitchen, nervously tapping a cutting board in front of her. The high noon sun made warm light flow into the room.

"Hi, it's Alice... Leander..?" She was greeted with an uncomfortable silence. She sighed and nodded to herself. What was she really expecting? "You helped me out with a poltergeist a few years back. But I'm sure with all the people you help, you..."

Dean stood frozen to the ground.

"Still making a mean lasagna?" he cut her off.

She giggled softly.

"Hey..!" Dean smiled into the phone.

"Hey..!" she smiled on her end.

"So, uhm..?" He knew she didn't just call out of the blue for no reason.

"So! Well... I got a kid now!"

Dean managed to hatch out a: "Oh! Wow, that's... Wow."

All the world was running right pass him, and here he was, stuck enjoying bad burgers with extra mayo. He slammed the remainder of the fries into a trash can.

"His name is Jim," said Alice. "And he's being possessed."

Dean put on his game face.

"Possessed? Is he possessed right now? What's he doing?"

"No… No, I don't think so." Alice peeked through the window, looking at Jim playing soccer with some friends. "Or at least it's not…active. He woke me up last night and acted really weird."

"Black eyes?" asked Dean.

"No..."

"Well, black smoke then. Did you see any black smoke?"

"No, he looked normal...ish."

Dean made a puzzled face. "Huh!"

Alice got a little worked up – now he, of all people, didn't believe her?

"Look, he WAS possessed, I swear, or I wouldn't have called you!"

Dean looked discontent at his cell phone. Alice continued: "He said... Or, the thing said: 'Call Dean Winchester and I will spare the child.' Dean, I've never mentioned you to him. There's no reason he would know your name."

"Okay, where are you?"

"Still live in the same house."

"I thought you were moving away?"

"I was... But then I didn't."

Dean could tell there was something going on, but he let her keep her little secrets.

"Well, I'm in Texas now, so it'll take me a few days to get there."

"What do I do if it comes back?" she asked.

"Then you call me. Don't wait until morning. But you did what it asked, so hopefully it will stay quiet for a while now."

"Dean…" Alice paused for a second. "I can't promise this isn't some kind of trap."

Dean smiled a little at her guilty conscience.

"Hey… It's your kid, Alice. You did the right thing. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Dean hung up the phone and the Winchesters walked over to the car. Sam had a smirk on.

"So, Alice, huh?"

"Yeah, look alive. We've got a job." Dean climbed into the car and Sam followed.

"Who is she?" Sam asked.

"A girl. In Seattle. Her son's being possessed."

"So, what's with the girl. In Seattle?"

Dean gave Sam the evil eye. It only made his younger brother grin wider.

"What happened to your broom stick?" Dean tried.

"It came out. Now, spill!"

"Did you happen to catch the part where I said her son..."

Sam nodded and presented the case's cliff notes:

"Possessed, no black eyes, wants to talk to you. Now, who's Alice?"

Dean squirmed a little in the driver's seat.

"We...dated. Like, seven years ago. I helped her out with a poltergeist and then we dated." Dean fired up the Impala.

"Seven years ago, and you react like this over a phone call? What did she do to you?"

"Nothing, it's just…" Dean sighed. "It's… And after Lisa these 'days of yours' crap... I don't know." Dean fiddled with the dashboard while thinking back. As memories of Alice started returning to him, an unholy smirk came over his face. Sam saw that:

"Uh-huh... How long did you stay with her? With Alice?"

"Until dad called me away on a job." Dean leaned over and started backing out the car.

"How long?" Sam persisted. Dean slapped the gear out of reverse.

"A little over a month, okay? Now can we focus on the…"

"Oh my God, Dean! To you, that's a relationship!"

"Shut up."

"You go and get married and don't even tell your own brother? That hurts."

"You were away in college! And...shut up!"

The engine growled and the Impala drove off.


	3. Chapter 3

Playing Rainbow – Since You Been Gone, the Impala made its way onto the overpass, viewing over the Seattle harbor, with the big cranes and the Cascade Mountains looking surreal beyond the ocean. Soon the Winchesters could see the Space needle towering behind some buildings.

X

The Impala rolled up the drive way and parked next to a nice car in front of Alice's house. Sam and Dean climbed out of the car and looked at the well kept, green lawn and rosebushes climbing an old wooden fence.

"Emerald City, huh?" said Sam and looked at Dean, who couldn't believe the change:

"Wow!"

Alice came walking towards them from the backyard, taking off her garden gloves. She greeted them both with a big smile.

"Yeah, it's amazing what you can do when garden tools aren't wielding themselves at you anymore," she said.

"Hey..!" Dean had to stop himself from running up to her like some little kid. Alice knew what he was thinking.

"I'm single, bring on the love..!" she grinned and put her arms out for a hug. Dean wasted no time feeling her soft body in his arms once again. They both held on one or two seconds more than "just friends" would have. Then Alice turned to Sam with an excited look on her face.

"And you must be Mr. College!" She gave him a big hug. "I can't believe you're hunting again – with your brother!"

Sam smiled confused. Alice stopped and tried to explain herself. "I'm sorry. I've heard so much about you, Sam. I almost feel like I know you…"

Sam struggled for words.

"And, uhm... Yeah!" Not even Sam's dimpled smile could cover the fact that Dean obviously had never talked about Alice before. She paused for a second, then carried on:

"So, how long has it been since you guys have had a home cooked meal, huh?"

She started walking towards the house. The Winchesters took out their bags from the trunk of the car and followed her. As soon as she was out of sight, Dean smacked Sam on the back of his head and gruffed: "Dude!"

He caught Sam by surprise.

"Aow! What?"

"You could have...lied!"

X

The brothers entered the house. Coming into the hallway, the kitchen was on the left hand side and the guestroom was to the right. In the middle there were stairs going up to 2nd floor and behind the stairs a narrow corridor leading to the living room in the back of the house. From upstairs you could hear sounds of a children's program on tv.

Dean put his bag down on the floor. When he looked up a golden retriever was running down the stairs wagging his tail at them. Alice came out of the kitchen to control her dog.

"Bowler, sit!" Bowler obeyed. "You guys like dogs?"

"Yeah!" Sam smiled happily. Dean looked at the well behaved pooch, got down on the floor and started goofing around with Bowler, who immediately gave him belly-up and growled content. Sam laughed and moved in too. The dog flinched, got up and stared at Sam.

Alice made an apologetic face. "Bowler..!"

Bowler looked at her, whimpered like he felt misunderstood and ran back upstairs. Sam was surprised and a little hurt. Dean, still sitting on the floor, looked up at his brother:

"Must be the burrito."

"Yeah..." Sam's gaze lingered where the dog had ran off.

X

Alice entered the guest room, twisting her hands a little. She turned the light on.

"You can put your stuff in here," she called.

Sam followed her and put his bag down. There were two beds and a desk by the window. He went to check out the bathroom. Dean stopped, leaning up against the doorframe.

"You know, we could just go to a motel, if that's..."

She looked at him and tried to sound casual:

"Okay, uhm… Sure, whatever..."

Sam came out of the bathroom with an excited look.

"Dude! This is... I mean... The soap is scented!"

Dean winked at Alice and put his bag down – it was settled. Alice breathed easy again and smiled a little to herself. He was staying!

X

The wooden stairs leading up to 2nd floor were creaking. The TV and children's program was still on in Jim's room, casting a spooky blue light out into the corridor. The curtains in Alice's bedroom down the hall were flowing. There was a whisper of five or so voices on top of the TV-sound.

From downstairs you could hear the grown-ups talking.

Alice's voice: "You're liking the soap, huh?"

Sam's voice: "Yeah, and it's...clean! I mean, that last motel room... I swear those roaches were gearing up for turf war."

Dean's voice: "Nah, they just wanted to eat your pillow."

Alice laughed.

Bowler came shooting out of Jim's room. The dog turned around and sat anxiously by the door, whimpering and growling. He turned and looked downstairs as to ask for help, then looked back at the thing inside the room. From the room came Jim's voice:

"Yes. Yes, he's here. Don't worry, he will."


	4. Chapter 4

Alice stood in the hallway by the stairs, tapping her neck and looking up the stairs again and again. As Sam and Dean came out of the guest room, she attempted a casual smile.

"So, you wanna meet Jim?"

"Yeah," Dean nodded. Alice called up the stairs:

"Jim, honey. Mommy's friends are here, come say 'hi'."

A beat, and then the boy appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Hi! Bye!" he yelled and waved his arm at them with a big smile. Then he ran back in his room, leaving his mom in embarrassment.

"Short but sweet!" Sam tried to salvage the situation.

"Honey!" Alice tried again. This time she only got the reply from his room:

"I'm watching my program. YOU entertain them!"

Alice made a gesture as to argue, but then sighed and decided to let it go.

"What's he watching?" asked Dean.

"Scooby Doo." She went back into the kitchen and the Winchesters tagged along.

The afternoon sun was shining through the windows as Alice started chopping vegetables for dinner. Dean went and stood beside her at the sink, while Sam sat down by the kitchen table, watching his brother go and go. Sam shook his head slightly, but watched in amusement.

"Scooby Doo… Oh, he's a little ghost hunter, huh?" Dean tried to strike up a conversation. Alice just gave him a fearful look he didn't understand, so he went to sit down next to Sam instead.

"Scooby Doo used to be our favorite show when we were kids, remember Sam?" Dean continued. Sam smirked at him:

"No, it was MY favorite show, Dean. But then you ruined it by pointing out everything they did wrong."

Dean looked embarrassed and tried a charming smile at Alice.

"Well, I couldn't have you getting all confused about the job..!"

When Alice wasn't looking Dean quietly mimicked "Dude!" to Sam, who tauntingly replied a silent: "What?"

Suddenly there was the rustling of Bowler's paws running down the stairs. The dog bolted into the kitchen and sat down in front of Alice, whimpering. Sam and Dean looked at each other with puzzled faces. Alice put the knife down on the counter and walked out into the hallway with Dean two steps behind her. Bowler took off into the living room.

Alice tried to mask her anxiety when she called up the stairs:

"Honey, is everything okay?"

Long seconds of silence went by. Then finally the boy's reply: "Yeah..!"

Both Alice and Dean exhaled and went back to the kitchen.

"I don't know what's with the dog, he always watches TV with Jim," she said. "Is... Is that a sign? Does that tell you anything?"

Sam and Dean once again looked at each other. Sam ventured a reply:

"Uh, well... Sometimes dogs pick up on things humans can't hear, or sense."

"Yeah," Dean countered. "But then again, sometimes dogs are just hungry, or they have an itch..."

"So you don't know?" Alice concluded with a serious face. Dean took a couple of steps in her direction.

"Look, this thing asked for me, right? I'm sure when he's good and ready he'll pop out and say 'hi'." Dean finished with a reassuring smile. Alice took a deep breath, happy someone was taking charge.

"And that's what we want?" she queried. Sam and Dean yet again looked back and forth at each other. Sam made an empathic face.

"We don't know."


	5. Chapter 5

After dinner they were all sitting around the kitchen table. Bowler was resting on the floor under the table, and Jim was sneaking treats to him. Sam was leaning back on his chair, looking a little queasy. Dean and Alice were both leaning forward, engaged in conversation.

Alice laughed at something Dean had just said. Dean made an apologetic gesture and continued:

"No, seriously! So, they just let you work from home, drawing your little sketches?"

"I am just that good!" Alice raised her glass as to salute herself and took a sip. Dean drank to that too.

"Dean, I think there's a little more to architecture than just doodling pictures," Sam entered the conversation. He put a hand on his stomach. "There's math and...ow...doodling."

"Hey, I warned you about the food," said Dean. Alice smothered a giggle.

"Do you need to lie down?" she asked. Sam shook his head, then re-considered:

"Would...that be okay?"

"Yeah! Go crash in the living room," Alice instructed. "I still have to make you guys a second bed."

Sam slowly got up and started shuffling off towards the living room. As he passed Jim, the boy poked Sam's stomach. Sam grunted and messed up Jim's hair for revenge. Dean smirked and shook his head, then turned to Alice.

"I'll help you."

X

Alice threw a sheet up in the air and guided it down over the bed. Dean caught his end and helped setting it.

"There's a big crease on your side…" Alice pointed out.

"Ah, he won't notice," Dean winked at her.

"We're actually making YOUR bed right now…" she smiled.

Dean frowned, and corrected the sheet. They started putting linens on the pillows and the cover.

"So, uhm... Jim's dad..?" Dean asked. Alice looked uneasy, but answered the question:

"He left. He's a good man, but he left."

Dean put the dressed pillow down on the bed and looked at her.

"I'm sorry. Must have been hard for you?"

Alice stared at him for a beat, at a loss for words. Then she found her footing:

"We're doing fine, Jim and me. You know, we're...we're good here," she paused. "Well, except for the whole possession thing..!" She sighed and it seamed her entire spirit left her body, as she sank down on the bed. Dean sat down too and considered putting his arm around her for consolidation, but he wasn't sure how she would react so he decided not to.

"Hey, this is what I do," he said. "That's why I'm here, remember?"

Alice swallowed hard and nodded. There was a bitterness to her voice as she repeated: "Yeah, that's why you're here."

They sat in a loud silence for awhile. Dean was about to say something when Sam walked in the door. Alice welcomed the break:

"Sam! How you doing?"

"Heavy as a rock, but better."

"Amateur!" Dean taunted, and got his shoulder slapped by Alice as she got up from the bed.

"All right, good night you two."

When she passed Sam in the doorway, she poked his stomach just to hear him grunt again:

"Owww, why you wanna hurt me like that?" Sam complained. Alice turned around and grinned, then went up the stairs.

Sam took a couple of steps into the guestroom.

"Dean… I don't know where to start on this one." Sam got a sharp look from his brother.

"What? Did you surf for porn all the way from Texas?"

"Dude, there's like three million people living in Seattle. That's a lot of people – all with potential…grudges!"

"Which makes for potential creature-summoners," Dean thought out loud.

"Yeah, and forget about detecting a pattern...of any kind here. There's lots of missing person's cases, murders, break-ins. Nothing pops about this particular neighborhood, in fact it's pretty quiet."

Sam sat down on his bed, rubbed his eyes and let his hand slide through his hair.

"History?" Dean asked. Sam looked uninspired, but indulged him.

"When the white man came in the 1860's they gave the native Duwamish people blankets with smallpox…"

"That would make me kinda grudgy."

"Yeah, maybe... And I haven't even got started on all the 'freaks-are-us' organizations a city this size produces," Sam sighed.

"Well, if the thing manifests itself tomorrow I'll be sure to ask it for a website," Dean smirked and got up from the bed. "You can at least cross off things that would react to holy water. I slipped the kid some during dinner, told him it was whiskey!" Dean held up a flask and grinned, proud of himself.

Sam gasped and was about to comment on the error of Dean's ways, but decided it was no use. The only thing that came out of him was a tired hand waving. Dean still got the message, looked at the flask again, but decided it was a good move after all.

"Well, for now I'm just gonna get some sleep," Dean said, took off his shirt and went to the bathroom. Sam nodded, took off his shirt and started undoing his jeans. When he looked up, Bowler was standing in the doorway staring at him. Sam looked back at the dog.

"Hey Bowler... Did you want something?" Sam slowly walked towards the dog, who backed away. From upstairs Jim called for his friend: "Bowler? Here, boy!"

The dog ran up to Jim.


	6. Chapter 6

Dean woke up. The morning sun filled the room. He heard Jim laughing and Bowler barking from outside the house. He looked over at Sam's bed, it was empty. Dean got up, put his pants on and reached for the shirt.

Alice knocked on the door and entered, carrying towels. She wasn't used to half-naked guests.

"Oh! Uhm... Hey, nice tattoo," she said, pointing at the anti-possession tattoo on Dean's chest. "I brought you guys some towels... ONE of them is for Sam..!" Alice teased him. She put the towels down on Dean's bed and turned to leave the room. Dean stared at the towels for a beat.

"Am I really that bad?" he asked. She stopped by the door and turned back to him. She was just joking about their brotherly bickering, but now she looked at him and smiled a little.

"You make him work for it sometimes. But then, I'm sure he does too."

Dean nodded to himself, leaned down to pick up one of the towels and threw it on Sam's bed, then made a gesture as to say "see, I'm playing nice". Alice giggled and shook her head a little. When she looked back at Dean, she noticed something and went over to him with a puzzled face. She reached out and touched the burned skin on his shoulders, where Castiel had gripped Dean, rescuing him from Hell.

"Are these...hands?" she gasped.

Dean stood frozen, feeling her touch. She went on investigating his chest with an almost scientific interest. "And you used to have a big scar right here. It was pretty deep, how'd you get rid of it?"

She realized what she was doing, pulled her hand back and looked up at him. Dean was trying to answer her:

"Uhm... The, uhm..." He pulled himself together. "I was healed. And...burned. It's kind of a long story… But I got all new scares, check this out!" He turned to show a big scar on his back. "Tree!"

"Ouch!" Alice exclaimed.

"Yeah…" Dean chuckled. "And then I got a couple of smaller cuts over here." He pointed to the back of his shoulder. Alice looked at Dean with empathy.

"Ouch..."

Sam entered the guest room with an excited look on his face. When he saw Dean and Alice having a moment he halted and almost managed a full 180 in the middle of a step. Too late, Alice had heard him coming and spun around.

"Hey, Sam!" she said with a big smile.

"Morning," said Dean, then mimicked: "DUDE!" behind Alice's back before putting on his shirt. Sam rolled his eyes a little, but then tried to justify his presence:

"I just… I thought of something I read a while back. There's this creature, well, it's a full-on colony of critters actually. It's called Agahin-gia, it's of East-Indian origin. They sometimes enter human bodies while you're asleep, and then 'ware' you to go do things in the human world."

"Do what?" asked Dean.

"Well, it depends. They like money. They're nasty-looking, but the take-over is usually pretty harmless to the human."

"Usually?" Alice asked with a concerned look. Sam paused a little. This wasn't something he was very keen on telling her:

"There have been cases where the Agahin-gia has brought its host up on a mountain. And then, when the human wakes up standing on the edge of a cliff..." Sam used his hand to show "human falling".

Alice gasped and stared wide-eyed at him. Dean stepped in:

"But we're not gonna let that happen here!" He turned to Sam. "What makes you so sure it's one of these...Aga-hoohoos?"

"Agahin-gia, and I'm NOT sure," said Sam. "But I remember they communicate with each other through high-pitched screeching noises. WE probably wouldn't hear it, but..."

"But Bowler would," nodded Alice. "Okay. So, what do we do?"

Sam looked uneasy, he was going to have to suggest something icky.


	7. Chapter 7

Clouds were partially covering the moon as Sam and Dean skulked across the graveyard, armed with shovels and flashlights. Sam had a glass jar in his hand.

Dean shone a light at some suspicious looking shrubs, determined it was nothing and then complained to his brother:

"Why can't these things ever just be suckers for popcorn, or something? I'd give that baby extra butter and a backrub."

"Over here," said Sam and marked a spot with his flashlight. They both went over there, stopped at a grave where the dirt had been recently disturbed, exchanged eerie looks and started digging.

**X**

The moon was now almost freed of her veils. Dean was sitting by the grave while Sam was in it still digging. Sam hit the coffin with a loud thud from his shovel.

"All right Sammy!" Dean coached.

Sam brushed off some dirt on the coffin and opened it. Dean flinched back and Sam gagged from the smell of the rotting corpse. Dean chuckled.

"It's okay, just...breathe in deep and think of Alice's extra thick gravy!"

Sam gagged even more, finally gave up and jumped out of the grave and went off to the side. "Awww, great!" Dean bemoaned his fate. He reached for the glass jar, took out a big knife and jumped into the grave. You could hear him cutting into flesh.


	8. Chapter 8

There were still a few hours before sunrise. Jim was sitting on a chair in the middle of the living room, looking confused. Alice was nervously picking at her necklace, struggling not to let her fear shine through in front of her son. She was standing next to Dean, who was holding a landing net and a blender with something red in it.

"What's that?" Jim asked, pointing at the blender.

"It's, uhm... Lingon berry jam," said Dean in an assertive tone. Jim looked at him with distrust.

"Really?"

"Really," Dean confirmed.

"Can I have some?" Jim asked, calling the bluff.

"No!" Alice exclaimed. "Uh... Honey, no."

Dean looked at her. Way to destroy a perfectly plausible lie. He leaned in towards the kid and jokingly used his scary voice:

"It's a dead guy's heart, ripped from holy ground, moahaha..!"

"Awesome!" Jim shouted in excitement. Dean stood back up and gave Alice a funny look, she laughed embarrassed and shrugged. Dean poured the content of the blender in a circle around Jim. Sam entered fiddling with his laptop.

"Digital exorcism, huh?" said Dean.

"Well, the incantation is in Hindi, which makes it kind of tricky, but I found this really nice professor over at the UW who..." Sam looked up from his laptop. Alice and Dean were both staring at him. She looked scared and Dean looked bored, neither one in a good trivia-mood.

"Yeah. Digital exorcism," Sam summed it up.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" asked Alice.

"We're basically asking the creature nicely to come out. Owning a..." Sam looked at Jim. "…THAT which is in the circle, is the highest form of wealth to these greedy little suckers. As long as he understands what I'm saying, he should bounce right out."

"And I'll be ready for him!" said Dean and gripped the landing net tighter. "Wait. How fast are they?"

"Not very, which is why they attack people in their sleep," said Sam. He turned to Alice and put a hand on her shoulder. "It's gonna be okay."

Dean looked over at Jim sitting on his chair inside the red circle. He looked so small.

"You ready Jimbo?" Dean asked encouraging.

"Yeah, I guess..."

Sam started reading the incantation. Small flashes went through the circle, zapping Jim's foot. He yelped and quickly pulled it up, off the floor. After a while the flashes stopped. They waited anxiously… Nothing happened.

Sam sighed disappointed: "I guess we're crossing Agahin-gias off our list."

"Are we sure it's not just...waiting?" asked Alice.

"It's not an Agahin-gia, that much I do know. Damn it..!" Sam scratched his head, and looked at the incantation on his laptop. Alice went and lifted Jim up from the chair, out of the circle. She was strangely relieved nothing had happened.

"Well, better luck next time, right?" she smiled at the Winchesters, then turned to Jim. "Now it is WAY past bedtime of someone I know..."

She carried Jim out of the room, comforting him as they left:

"Wow, that was exciting, huh?"

"Yeah..."

"Were you scared, honey?"

"Nu-uh!"

Dean watched them leave, then turned to Sam:

"Well, that was a big steaming pile of nothing."

"Sorry man, I guess we'll keep looking."

"Yeah we are, Sammy. 'Cos I want whatever that thing is out of that kid!"


	9. Chapter 9

The kitchen table was filled with library books. Sam had a face of deep focus behind his laptop. Dean was trying not to fall asleep over the never ending pages of his book. Alice, standing by the sink, looked over at the guys and poured two cups of coffee. She came over and put one cup down next to Sam, then brought the other cup over to Dean.

"Oh, thanks," he mumbled and scratched his eyes. Alice put a hand on Dean's shoulder, leaned in closer and peeked at the open book in front of him. She looked at him and nodded, joking that it all made perfect sense now. Dean smiled and shook his head at her, then took a sip of coffee.

Sam hadn't even noticed the coffee. He turned away from the laptop and started shifting through the piles of books.

"Dean, do you have the book on Ragnarok?" he asked. Dean put the coffee down and started going through the book covers on his side of the table.

"The..?" Dean tried repeating the title to himself. Sam sighed and scratched his eyes.

"The pretty blue book, Dean. Vikings and stuff..."

Dean stopped looking and gave Sam a death-glare, but it went completely unnoticed. Alice rushed over and put the coffee cup into Sam's hand, making pleading eyes at Dean.

"Thanks..!" Sam looked up at her in surprise before drinking. Dean didn't pursue the fight.

"No Vikings over here," he said. "I'm gonna go stretch my brain."

"All right..." muttered his brother.

Dean got up from the table and walked out into the hallway.

Bowler was chilling by the stairs. Dean sat down on the steps and petted the dog. He gazed up the stairs, then got up and walked up to 2nd floor.

X

Dean knocked on the already open door to Jim's room.

"Yeah?" the boy answered.

"Hey there buddy, what you doing?" Dean asked as he entered. Jim was sitting on the floor playing with soldier figurines. "Ooh, soldiers!"

"Uh-huh," Jim nodded and Dean sat down next to him.

"So, that thing last night," Dean asked. "That was pretty weird, right? Hope we didn't freak you out."

Jim looked at Dean with big eyes, smiled a little and shook his head "no".

"Yeah, I didn't think so," Dean chuckled. "You're a tough one, looking at Scooby Doo and all. You like ghosts?"

Jim laughed a little, made a crooked smirk and nodded.

Dean laughed a little, made a crooked smirk and nodded too. Suddenly it dawned on him they both had the same smile! He looked closer at the kid, who was still playing with his soldiers.

"Hey, Jim. How old are you exactly?"

Jim rapidly presented the correct number of fingers: "Six!"

Dean swallowed, but tried to stay calm.

"Wow, six... Big man, huh? And...when's your birthday?"

"May 11… Are you gonna come to my birthday party?" the boy was very excited by the notion.

"Oh, if I'm in town you know I will!" said Dean and started counting on his fingers: "May to January, that's five... December, November, October... September!" Dean could hardly breathe as he was now holding out nine fingers. He looked over at Jim. One last test.

"Buddy... Can I ask you something?"

"You ask a lot!" Jim grinned. Dean let off a nervous little laughter.

"Yeah... Uhm, have you...EVER...met your dad..?"

Jim shook his head decisively.

"He had to leave before I was born, but he misses us too. He's a soldier, you know."

Dean looked confused.

"A soldier..?"

Jim nodded eagerly: "He helps people."

"Helps people how?"

Still playing with his figurines the boy told him the well rehearsed tale of his father:

"He drives his car all over the country. When people are afraid, he figures out what they're afraid of, and then he makes it go away."

Tears welded up in Dean's eyes. He slowly reached out to stroke his son's hair.

X

Alice came up the stairs and took two steps into Jim's room.

"All right you two, dinner's almost rea..." Alice stopped when she saw the look on Dean's face – he knew! Jim got up from the floor, and ran over to hug his mom. From the floor Dean followed every move the boy made.

"Mom! Dean says he might come to my birthday party!" Jim's excitement knew no boundaries.

"That's great honey..!" Alice kneeled down in front of her son, braced herself and tried to smile. "Jim…" She nodded towards Dean. "This is your daddy."

Jim spun around and stared at Dean. Then he curled up in his mother's lap to study the man with new eyes. Dean looked back at him, not sure what to say. Finally Jim broke the silence:

"Where's your helmet?"

"What..?" asked Dean.

"You're a soldier. So…where's your helmet?"

Dean and Alice laughed a little.

"Well, I got most of the gear in the trunk of my car," Dean explained.

They just sat in silence, looking at each other for a while. A tear ran down Dean's face.

"Are you sad?" asked Jim. Alice hesitantly looked up at Dean, she wanted to know too. Dean wiped the tears from his eyes.

"I, uhm..." Dean stopped to think for a beat. "No..! No buddy, I'm not sad."

Jim turned around and clung to Alice. This was a lot for him.

"Okay... Honey, why don't you go wash your hands before dinner," Alice told him and Jim ran out of the room.

She remained on the floor, not sure what to say to Dean.

Dean was completely stunned. He finally wiped his eyes again and got up. He started walking towards the door, passing Alice without looking at her.

"Dean..." she tried.

He stopped briefly, then continued walking away.


	10. Chapter 10

With their plates now emptied, the dinner table offered nothing but an uneasy silence. Jim was still staring at Dean, Dean and Alice were both staring at the table and Sam was trying not to exist.

"Thanks for dinner, Alice..." Sam said quietly, as to not disrupt the fragile peace.

Alice politely smiled down at the table and started gathering the plates. Dean reached his over without looking at her, then he collected all the glasses. They both went over to the kitchen counter with their respective dishes.

Sam anxiously tapped the table.

"Hey Jim, you wanna show me your room?" he asked. Alice turned around.

"Actually... It's almost bedtime." She turned to Jim. "Right, good Sir?"

Jim nodded, then thought to himself for a beat.

"Sam, are you my uncle?" the boy asked. Sam tilted his head getting used to the concept, but then gave a happy smile.

"Yeah… I guess I am!"

"Mom, can uncle Sam read me my bedtime story?"

Alice looked at Sam, who shrugged "okay".

"Sure, honey. But still just the ONE story, okay!" she told him.

"Yeah, yeah..." Jim started pulling Sam out of the kitchen. Suddenly the boy stopped, ran back and hugged Dean's legs.

"Goodnight daddy..!" he whispered and ran up to his room, with Bowler chasing after.

Dean just stared after him. Sam smiled widely, nodded Dean towards Alice, and walked upstairs to read to Jim.

Dean turned around and gripped the counter.

"'Goodnight daddy.' Wow!" he said under his breath and Alice smiled to herself. They shared the moment in silence.

"Do you... Do you wanna look at some baby pictures?" Alice glanced over at Dean, and he finally made eye contact.

"Yeah..!"


	11. Chapter 11

Dean laughed heartily. He and Alice were huddling in front of the computer in her room, looking at pictures of younger Jim.

"You want me to print it?" she asked.

"Yeah, and can I have the clown-flower thing too? That was awesome!"

"Sure!" Alice reached over and started the print out. She thought to herself and glanced over at Dean, who was fully absorbed watching the screen.

"Dean, I'm sorry," she began. "I had no right to keep him away from you, or to keep you away from him."

Dean's smile died. "Why did you?"

She sighed and looked up at the ceiling, trying to sum it all up:

"We... You get a phone call and you just up and leave. And then I find out I'm pregnant, and I was still kind of hoping you'd come back... You know, just 'cause you wanted to. But you didn't."

Dean tilted his head listening to her explain.  
"And then," she continued "after some time it was like... What, I call you up and go: 'Hi, I'm not even sure you remember me – poltergeist in Seattle? You LEFT me, to go lead a very complicated life on the road, but hey: you've got a kid. Score!'"

Dean nodded with a resolute face.

"Yeah! You know what, you should have done that. In fact, that would've been fricking awesome! And for the record I never 'left' you, I got called away!"

"No, you LEFT!" Alice was furious. "Truck drivers and soldiers, they go out and do their jobs and then they come back. You left! We've been here this entire time – same house, same phone number..."

Dean cut her off: "Well what do you want me to say, huh? What, that I've thought about you sometimes?"

Alice waved defensively in the air and locked her arms. She didn't want his pity.

"I did!" Dean was upset to be thought to lie. "Yeah, there's been other girls along the way... But you know – sometimes. Look, I didn't come all this way to lie to you, Alice."

She took a deep breath before turning to him. He got the benefit of a doubt, that was all.

Dean looked back at her.

"So what do you want me to say..?" he asked again. "You want me to say that…before then, I had never stayed that long in any one place since I was four years old? You want me to say that I liked being with you, that I was happy here?" He paused, scratched his chin and laughed bitterly. "I always assumed you moved on, Alice. You know, got some brainy Regular Joe-husband, and…forgot all about your crazy fling with the scruffy ghost hunter."

He was surprised to suddenly feel her lips pressed against his.

To the tones of Bad Company – Don't Let Me Down, you could see them staying in the kiss for a long, long while. Dean broke first, his eyes still closed.

"I… Wow, this is a really bad idea!" he whispered, but when he felt her pulling away he yanked her back and onto his lap. They started kissing again, tearing at each other's clothes. He stood up from the chair with her legs wrapped around him, locks of her hair touching his face. He carried her over to the bed.

X

Lying on his arm Alice listened while Dean talked. Maybe every word wasn't really meant for her, but he was sorting things through and she was invited to be there with him as he did. When he got quiet she concluded:

"So... You broke. After 30 years in Hell." She shrugged a little as to tell him "who wouldn't?" Dean sat up and she followed. He swung his feet over the edge of the bed, like he wanted to run off at any second.

"Look, you don't... I didn't just sit in a corner and cry, Alice. What I did down there, you'd..."

The words stuck in his mouth, in his chest. He felt her arms and warm body as she hugged him from behind. She let a finger run along the tree-scar on his back, then kissed it. She moved to kiss all the smaller cuts on the back of his shoulder too. Dean turned around and looked at her, afraid at any moment she would realize just how terrible he really was. She put her hands around his face and stared deep into his eyes, smiled slightly and said:

"I understand it was horrible, and I understand you did horrible things. And I'm still here."

Dean squeezed his eyes shut. Maybe she wouldn't be able to keep her word in the long run, but she did mean it here and now. He leaned over and started kissing her again, gently pushing her back down on the mattress. He followed her down.

X

Dean watched her eyes move as she dreamed. When he looked up he noticed her bare shoulder sticking out from under the covers. He pulled the cover up so she wouldn't get cold, then put his arm around her and peacefully went to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

With a content smile Dean watched Jim and Bowler through the kitchen window. They were playing outside, laughing and barking. Dean was working on some scrambled eggs on his plate, skimming through the newspaper. From the front door he heard Alice's voice:

"Jimmy, come get your breakfast!"

"Just a minute, mom!" came the reply.

Alice walked into the kitchen, stroking Dean's arm as she passed him. He grabbed her, pulled her up in his lap and snuck a hand under her shirt. She yelped, then giggled.

"Ow, you're wearing a bra!" he complained.

"I'm a girl, it's what we do," she said and stole some scrambled eggs from his plate.

"Hey! You're stealing my food AND you're wearing a bra? Bad combination, baby," Dean protested. Alice paid no attention to him, but sprinkled some salt over the eggs and treated herself to some more.

Sam entered the kitchen carrying his laptop like a woobie blanket. His eyes were only halfway opened. Dean quickly pulled out his hand from under Alice's shirt and she jumped down from his lap.

"Morning Sam! You want some breakfast?" she shined.

Sam nodded "hi" to Dean and sat down at the table.

"Yeah, I'll just..." He didn't get to finish before Alice put bread, ham and cereals on the table and turned to go grab more things from the refrigerator. "Uhm, thanks," mumbled Sam and looked a little overwhelmed. Dean chuckled and turned to the newspaper, leaving his brother to his fate. Sam rubbed his eyes and looked at them with a smirk.

"So did you two crazy kids get ANY sleep last night? I know I didn't..."

Alice came to a halt, holding the milk and orange juice. Dean looked up at Sam.

"...'Cos I was up searching for new leads," Sam grinned at Alice. She grinned right back, she was done being embarrassed. Alice put the milk and juice down on the table, then went to sit in Dean's lap.

"All right Mike Wallace, what you come up with?" Dean asked.

"Same as before: A very far-fetched, wild theory," said Sam. His face got serious and very sincere: "But I promise you – the both of you: we WILL figure this out."

X

To the music of Kiss – Heaven's On Fire, you could see the tireless efforts of the Winchesters and their protégés:

X

In the living room, Jim sat on a chair in a circle of salt. Sam walked around him, reading out loud from a book, throwing more salt at him. Nothing. Sam shrugged disappointed and Dean and Alice came over. Dean scratched his head and discussed new theories with Sam. Alice made sure Jim was okay, then patted Sam's arm encouraging.

X

In the late afternoon sun Dean and Jim played frisbee with Bowler in the backyard.

X

At the dinner table, Sam waved some papers around and seamed excited about a new theory.

**X**

In the graveyard at night, Sam and Dean came walking right to left, holding shovels. They came back left to right, holding dirty shovels and a black plastic bag – might there be a scull in there?

X

Jim sat on a chair in the living room again. Sam looked intense, reading something from a book. Nothing. Sam slammed the book closed. "Damn it!"

X

Dean and Alice were making out big time on the kitchen table. Sam walked in on them, and they flinched. Sam quickly covered his eyes, spun around and left. Dean and Alice giggled and continued.

X

Someone answered their front door. Outside were Sam and Dean, holding out FBI-badges.

X

Alice was working on the computer in her room. Sam came in with some scrolls, talking about a new idea. Dean and Jim ran into the room, goofing around, wrestling on the floor. Alice looked at them and laughed, then tried to straighten her face to listen to Sam.

X

In the flashing light of yet another exorcism, Dean and Alice only had eyes for each other.

X

Someone answered their front door. Outside stood Sam and Dean wearing sunglasses, holding out badges for Homeland Security.

X

Dean showed Jim how to wash the Impala. The boy eagerly caught on and Dean took a few steps back, nodding proudly, watching his son go.

X

In the graveyard, Sam and Dean went right to left, holding jackhammers. They came back left to right, then suddenly stopped and spun around. Two flashlights were aimed at their faces. They threw away the jackhammers and ran. Two cops came running after them.

X

Alice sat on the couch reading a gardening magazine, leaning up against Dean, who was yawning. Jim sat on a chair in the middle of the room and Sam was reading out loud from a book. Great winds rushed through the room, some of them throwing around Alice's notes on the table. She simply put her hand on them to keep them down and continued reading.

X

With the clear blue sky above them, Jim showed Dean his tree house. When the sun was getting low they were still sitting next to each other in comfortable silence.

X

Sam opened Alice's front door holding a research book. A river of neighborhood ladies poured in, holding different dishes for a barbeque party. Some of them pinched Sam's dimples, some played with his hair. Alice and Bowler came and lead them away from Sam. When he turned back to close the door, Mrs. Frisky – a sweet old gal with too much smeared out lipstick – was still standing there, holding out her apple-pie with a big grin. Sam smiled politely and took it from her. When he turned around to go put it down, she pinched his butt.

X

On the living room floor Jim was sitting in a circle of symbols painted in blood, playing on his Game Boy. From behind the couch Sam, Dean and Alice popped up, all covered in tinfoil. Sam shook his head in disappointment and sighed. Dean started kissing Alice, savagely ripping off her tinfoil, as she had normal clothes underneath. She laughed heartily.

X

Jim was riding on Dean's shoulders as they were with Alice in Pike Place Market shopping fresh produce. Alice held up a red pepper, teaching Jim something, when two of her friends come up to them. She introduced them to Dean, who shook their hands. The friends exchanged glances – they thought Dean was hot.

X

At the graveyard Sam and Dean went right to left, skulking carefully, looking around to spot cops. A beat, and then they came running back left to right, carrying an antique cross. A German shepherd and some flashlights were chasing after them.

X

Someone answered their front door, holding a yorkie. Outside stood Sam and Dean, looking a little scratched up and holding out Seattle P.D.-badges. The pooch went ballistic and Sam flinched back while Dean just about had a heart attack. You could see him going: "Son of a bitch!"

X

The whole family took a long walk together with Bowler on a hiking trail, just enjoying life.

X

Dean went to open Alice's front door. Sam, holding a book, came out of the guest room to see who it was. It was Mrs. Frisky, holding out a new pie. Dean thanked her and made off with the pie. Sam smiled uncomfortably and turned to go back in the room. When he did, Mrs. Frisky pinched his butt again.

X

Alice stood by the counter, humming and cooking away. Dean came up behind her and hugged her, burying his face in her hair.

X

At the graveyard Sam and Dean came walking right to left, holding out a big steak, whistling for the guard dog. They soon returned going left to right, holding a black plastic bag – might that be an arm in there? They looked around confused – was no one here guarding? A beat and then they reappeared running right to left again, a hundred flash lights chasing after them.


	13. Chapter 13

In the late afternoon Sam sat by the kitchen table with his trusty laptop and now only two library books left. He closed the laptop and rubbed his eyes. Alice poured herself a cup of coffee, went over to the window and watched Dean and Jim outside.

The boys were out in the front yard by the rose bushes, building a new fence. Dean carefully pulled out the roses from the fence and broke off the rotted wood of the fence as he went. Jim was holding the rose bush so it wouldn't tip over and break at the roots.

Sam watched Alice for a beat.

"So, why 'Jim'?" he asked. Alice turned to look at Sam.

"Huh?"

"The name – Jim?" Sam tilted his head.

"Oh, uhm... I don't know. You Winchesters seem to have a thing for one-syllable names. John, Dean, Sam... and – Jim," she smiled and took another sip of coffee as she turned back to watch Dean and Jim. Sam thought to himself and nodded a little.

"In honor of his absent dad…"

Alice hung her head thinking for a beat.

"Am I a terrible person?" she asked.

Sam made an empathic face and went over to her by the window.

"I mean, look at them..." she continued. "Jim's got himself a hero, and Dean..."

Sam smiled.

"Yeah, I like seeing Dean with his shoulders down for once. But in all fairness, I'm not sure Dean would've been ready for this six years ago. I know he's always wanted a family, but..."

Alice looked up at Sam.

"You think he's ready now?"

Sam knew what she was really asking.

"He wants to be here, Alice." He put a hand on her shoulder. "And you're NOT a terrible person."

Alice smiled a little, but wasn't really done blaming herself.

"Got some more doodling to do…" she mumbled, and went upstairs with her coffee.

Sam lingered by the window for a beat, watching his brother with the boy. Finally he turned around to go back to the table. Just a few feet away was Bowler..!

The dog was just standing there, quietly observing. Sam halted, a little startled. Then he decided to try one more time to be friends with the dog. He squatted down to Bowler's level.

"Okay, you... What's up?" said Sam in a low voice. The dog stood very still and just looked at him for a good long while, assessing him. Finally Bowler walked up to Sam and licked his face. Sam smiled happily, stretched his chin out of range for the doggy-love and petted him. Bowler put his front paws on Sam's shoulders and stared at him with his big, sad doggy eyes. It was like he was trying to say something. Sam gazed back, wondering what the message was.


	14. Chapter 14

Dean woke up. He turned around in bed and put his arm around Alice, the morning sun on his face. It started raining. He smiled and just lied there, listening to the rain drumming against the roof. In a distance he heard the faint sound of wing flutter in the rain. He started drifting away again…

Suddenly Bowler started barking and howling, his paws speeding down the stairs. Both Dean and Alice woke with wide eyes. Dean lifted his head from the pillow, listening intensely.

"Dean..?" Alice queried a little dazed.

They heard Sam coming up the stairs.

Sam's voice: "Jimmy?"

Dean jumped up and grabbed a shotgun from under the bed. The next second Sam hurled the bedroom door wide open.

"Guys, I can't find Jim, and Bowler is downstairs crapping himself!"

Dean looked at Sam with a quiet, resolved face while loading the gun with bullets he had been hiding in the night stand. Alice got out of bed too and ran to put on a robe.

"Jim! Jimmy!" Dean shouted in a demanding voice. No answer.

"I'll check downstairs," said Sam and ran downstairs. Alice was pulling her hair in despair.

"Jim? Can you hear me?" she tried. "You answer me right now! Jimmy?"

"Come on, baby." Dean grabbed her hand and dragged her along with him out of the room.

X

Dean and Alice came running down the stairs and stopped in the hallway.

"Jimmy!" Dean tried again, then turned to Alice: "Stay here."

Dean took aim with the gun and ran into the living room. Alice stayed in the hallway crying.

"Jimmy!" she yelled, trying to will out an answer. Bowler whimpered from under the stairs. She went over and squatted down to pet him, trying to calm the both of them down. "Where's Jim?" she whispered to the petrified animal. From the living room she heard the Winchesters talking.

Sam's voice: "No, I've checked every room in the house…"

Dean's voice: "Well then where the hell is he, Sam? No, I will not freaking calm down! Where is my son?"

Sam's voice: "Look, he could be anywhere by now, okay? Dean, you need to check yourself. We're hunting now."

Alice bit her lip and kept on petting Bowler.

Suddenly the front door creaked – it wasn't locked! Alice looked over at it, stood up and started walking out.

X

The rain hit her face with tiny drops. She walked outside in a dreamlike state, afraid of what she might find. She stopped in the middle of the yard and looked around.

"Jimmyyy..?"

No answer. She turned around to go back inside, when she saw it.


	15. Chapter 15

Jim was calmly standing on the edge of the roof, looking down on Alice. She fell to her knees SCREAMING up at her son.

Dean came bolting out of the house, Sam one step behind. Sam ran up to Alice and kneeled down to comfort her. Dean stopped a few feet in front of them, turned and looked up where her eyes were aimed. He saw Jim up on the roof, and reacted instantly:

"Hey, wowowo, okay!"

Dean put his gun on the ground. The entity possessing Jim curiously looked back at him. Dean reached out his hands in a gesture to reason with it:

"Let's not... Look, you wanted to see me, so I'm here. What?"

"Dean Winchester. How very troublesome you are," said the entity using Jim's voice.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," said Dean. "Listen, whatever you want me to do... It's not gonna happen until you bring the kid down. Safely."

"I don't want you to DO anything, Dean. All I've ever wanted from you is one little word: _Yes_."

Sam frowned in surprise.

"Michael..? How… How did you get out..?"

Dean was furious: "You son of a bitch! What is this, part of your day-job now – running around taking little kids hostage? You're an angel for God's sake."  
Michael looked furious, but answered in a calm voice:

"I have my orders."

"Orders from who?" yelled Dean.

Michael paused to keep his cool when dealing with the human.

"I am Michael, the archangel. Who do you think gives ME orders?"

Dean stared up at him for a beat.

"God? God let you out of the cage and told you to go wear me, every which way you could? Why? There's no one to take to your little apocalyptic prom anymore. Whatta hell you need me for?"

Michael glared at Dean and started walking wobbly, holding his balance on the slippery roof.

"No, no, no..!" Dean heard Alice cry behind him.

"If I fall... I can choose to heal the boy. Or not," Michael reminded them.

Dean struggled.

"Okay, stop it, stop it! Just..." He needed time to think, talk to Sam, call Bobby. No time was granted by the being possessing his son.

"You humans bore me. Everything's a negotiation to you. There's no right, no wrong, no responsibilities. It always comes down to 'how much is in it for ME?'"

Michael stopped and dangled one foot in the air. Alice ducked down, she couldn't watch.

"So," Michael asked. "How much is in it for you, Dean?"

Dean didn't have an answer.

"Michael..." Dean just slowly shook his head, looking pleading at Michael, as to say "you can't do this." There was no sound but the gushing rain. Michael stared back at Dean, placing the blame for the situation on him:

"You have forced me to get creative. And I hate getting creative," Michael spoke. "This boy is no longer a stranger to you, why do you think I waited this long? He is your son and you love him. You are a father now, and we both know there is nothing you won't give me."

Dean still hesitated, so Michael dangled Jim's foot menacing over the edge again. It was no longer a warning. Dean fell to his knees, crying.

"No! Just... Yes, okay..?"

"Dean!" Sam got up and took a few steps towards his brother. Dean closed his eyes and shouted for all the Heaven and Earth to hear:

"YES, Michael! All right? YES!" He hung his head and whispered: "Just...just leave them alone..." He looked over at Sam and Alice. They were afraid for him, but they couldn't help.

X

A flutter of wings, and Michael stood before him. Dean looked up at him, reached out and stroked the hair on his son's head. He tried to memorize every line in Jim's face, even though the expression in the boy's eyes was not that of a child, but Michael's.

"He is of your blood, and as such a part of the lineage that must not die. My orders are to see to that," Michael explained. "And despite everything, you are still my true vessel."

Dean looked over at Alice and tried to smile:

"He is so beautiful..!" She smiled back at him. "Sammy... Don't do too many stupid things, okay?"

Sam was just staring at his brother for as long as he could. Finally he nodded slightly.

In a bright light Michael left Jim, who fell unconscious into Dean's arms. Dean gently put his son down on the ground, before the light took him over. Dean's body fell lifeless to the ground next to Jim.

Sam ran over and quickly lifted Jim away, over to Alice. He started pacing back and forward in the yard, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

Alice sat on the ground with her son in her lap. She shook him, crying anxiously:

"Jimmy? Jimmy..!"

The boy woke up, confused and groggy.

"Mom, it's raining..."

Alice cried and squeezed Jim tight, then looked over at Dean's lifeless body lying there, while the rain fell.


	16. Chapter 16

Suddenly Michael awoke, now in the form of Dean. He stood right up and looked down on Alice and Jim. Slowly he started walking towards them. Alice gasped and tried to crawl away with Jim still in her arms.

"You've raised a good son, Alice," Michael said.

"Screw you!" she yelled, at which Michael stopped pursuing them.

Sam turned around because of the commotion and started jogging over to them.

Michael curiously looked down at the inferior and obviously afraid human, who still refused to show him any respect. Such strange creatures they were. Michael continued:

"I asked him: 'Do you fear God?' to which he replied: 'No, I love him.' It wasn't hard to have him say yes to me."

Sam came up and stood himself between Michael and Dean's family.

"All right, you leave them alone, you got what you wanted. You're wearing my brother..!" Sam demanded though his voice broke. Michael gave Sam a look that made him back up a step. "I'm not Lucifer's vessel anymore, I'm just a man," Sam tried reasoning with him.  
"That doesn't mean I like you…" the angel responded. With an invisible force he hurled Sam a couple of yards away, until a tree stopped him mid-flight. Sam fell, branches cracking against his body on the way down. Finally he hit solid ground and laid there panting and coughing blood.

"Stop it!" Alice shouted. Michael turned around to scowl her. Jim was more alert now, and he looked at the shape of his father in horror.

"Daddy..?"

"That's not your daddy!" Alice explained. "You go away, leave us alone!"

"I can't just yet," said Michael. "I'm certain God did not station me here only to watch over a human child. I'm awaiting further instructions. But my orders are you may have your precious Dean back, for now."

Dean fell unconscious to the ground. Alice clutched Jim tight and stared at Dean, who wasn't moving. She lifted Jim up from her lap, signaled for him to stay back, and slowly crawled over to Dean. She leaned over him trying to assess whether he was breathing.

Dean's eyes swung wide open! Alice yelped and flinched back. Dean sat up and stared at her and Jim.

"Alice? Baby, why am I still here?" Dean asked.

"Dean!" Alice threw herself in Dean's arms and he gripped her tight. Then he saw Sam across the yard.

"Sammy?"

Dean got up and ran over to Sam. Alice and Jim followed him over.

X

Sam panicked when he woke up to Dean leaning over him.

"No, no! Sam, it's me! It's me!"

"Dean?"

"Yeah, Sammy, it's me! I'm still here!"

Sam smiled with bloody teeth. Dean clutched his brother, but Sam growled with pain.

"Owww..! You freak, you threw me into a tree!"

Dean looked concerned at his brother, but replied:

"Wuss... Come on, let's get you to a hospital."

He helped Sam up and they made a couple of steps towards the house, before Sam stopped him:

"Wait... Michael?"

"Yeah, he's still in here, I can feel him. But he's letting me drive for now."

Sam tilted his head in surprise, but then made a face with pain and the Winchesters continued staggering towards the house. Alice walked next to them, trying to help supporting Sam. Bowler came running up, barking to greet them. He and Jim raced back to the house. In a distance you could hear Dean chuckle:

"Hey Sammy, you get to go to a hospital – in Seattle! Huh, huh?"

"Owww, you suck..." 


	17. Chapter 17

Sam limped out of the house with some band aids and bandages on. He carried his bag over to the Impala and put it in the trunk. Jim came running after him and Bowler chased Jim.

Dean and Alice came out on the front porch, Dean holding his bag.

"So..." he said. "Back to the good life. Motels with stains they can't get out with bleech, and all the greasy fast food your heart may desire."

Alice wasn't in the mood for witty comebacks, she just hugged him a good long while.

"Hey, this time I'm coming back," he said.

"When?"

"Oh, you never know..."

Alice nodded but didn't meet his eyes. It could be years, maybe a phone call here and there.

"...but I heard something about a birthday-party in May," Dean finished.

Alice's face lit up and she kissed him. Jim came up to them, which reminded them Sam was waiting by the car. Dean lifted up Jim and held him for awhile. Then he gave Alice one last quick kiss, put Jim down and went over to the car.

X

Sam stood by the passenger seat of the Impala, watching Alice, Jim and Bowler huddling together as Dean walked away from them. Sam opened the car door to get in.

"Hey, Sammy. You feel okay to drive?" Dean stopped him.

"Uh..?" This probably wasn't the best time for Sam.

"Just put Seattle in the rearview mirror, I'll take it from there."

Sam looked at his big brother. This was him asking for help.

"Sure," said Sam.

They went and traded places and Sam fired up the Impala. The stereo started playing REO Speedwagon – Back on the Road Again.

Dean watched his family get smaller and smaller as they drove away and finally out of Seattle.


End file.
